By Katherine Dominek, ’19
Rag-O-Rama gives fashionistas and plain Janes alike a ‘kid in a candy store’ vibe with its lime green walls, collection of funky clothing, and price tags that don’t leave too big of a hole in their pocket. Rag-O-Rama is a gently used clothing resale shop located at 3301 North High Street in Clintonville. Founded on the idea of having individuals “recycle their wardrobe”, the shop provides a unique experience for those who want to buy, sell, or trade clothing or accessories.
The shop features an eclectic array of clothing styles, almost guaranteeing that anyone who walks through the door will find something that they love. Styles sold range from current and trendy to vintage and alternative, and even costume accessories like wigs, petticoats, and flashy, knee high boots. General items sold are: shirts, pants, jackets, shorts, skirts, and dresses. Men, do not fear, both men’s and women’s apparel are for sale.
Its selection of trendy clothes include labels like Forever 21, Old Navy, Nike and Vans. Yes! Rag-O-Rama buys and sells used (and possibly new) shoes, and is even known for having one of the best variety, and quality of used shoes in Columbus. Shoes are not the only accessory sold here: new socks, sunglasses, bags of all kinds, tights, and a vast assortment of jewelry, among other things are available for purchase.
Along with trendy clothes and interesting accessories is also a plethora of vintage apparel. Finding dresses with shoulder pads and oversized sweaters, dating back to the ‘80s, is not uncommon. Bell bottom jeans, mod dresses, leather jackets, and heaps of ‘90s flannel are encased in this resale timewarp. As soon as a customer notices the ‘70s and ‘80s music playing over the speakers, they will be immediately transported back in time, especially once they realize that Rag-O-Rama first opened their doors in 1996.
Prices seem to be fair. T-shirts are usually sold for about $9. But when compared to other second-hand stores, prices are almost excessively high. Rag-O-Rama is not an average “thrift” store, which tends to be a common misconception. It has even been recognized as the Best Thrift Store by Columbus Alive magazine’s Best of Reader’s Poll almost consecutively since 2001. Rag-O-Rama is really a resale shop, meaning that it buys and sells products in order to make a profit, which is quite different from non-profit organizations like Goodwill or the Volunteers of America, which are known for having reasonably priced donated clothes. However, Rag-O-Rama does donate to local charities and nonprofit organizations through their token program. Each customer is given a token worth 5 cents, to place in a bin of a charity of their choice.
Aside from selling clothes, Rag-O-Rama also purchases. Sellers have the choice of being paid either by cash or store credit. The amount the seller is paid is determined by the selling price. Rag-O-Rama will pay either 30 percent of the selling price in cash or 50 percent in store credit. Items are purchased based on condition, style, color, size, label, season and rack levels.
Rag-O-Rama’s massive, eccentric collection is, without a doubt, a place to check out. Though more expensive than the traditional thrift store, this gently used clothing store breaks boundaries by providing people a one-of-a-kind experience by enabling them to recycle clothes with ease. Not only do customers have the chance to make a bit of money, they will also save time and hassle due to the fact that Rag-O-Rama sells the diamonds in the rough world of thrift.
Website: http://www.ragorama.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ragorama/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rag_O_rama
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ragorama?sk=app_190322544333196
Regular Hours of Operation
​Monday-Saturday: 11 a.m. -8 p.m.
Buy counter closes at 7 p.m​​​​​​​​​​​.
​​​​​​​​​​​Sunday: 11 a.m. -7 p.m.
Buy counter closes at 6 p.m.